dowdier; dowdiest
1
: not neat or becoming in appearance : shabby
a dowdy old hat
2
a
: lacking smartness or taste
a dowdy room
b
: old-fashioned
a dowdy institution
Examples of dowdy in a Sentence
Adjective
She played a dowdy old woman in the film.
the dowdy, beat-up furniture at the cheap motel
Recent Examples on the Web
Marta Balaga, Variety, 15 May 2025
These designs deliver on arch support without feeling dowdy.
—Malia Griggs, Glamour, 28 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, the cutout neckline and darted bodice prevent it from being dowdy.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2025
Jane and Kit stand on either side, looking dowdy in black dresses and veils (not really an Irish thing).
—Cullen Murphy, airmail.news, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dowdy
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Adjective
Machi plays a dowdy tax inspector closing in on a Shakira-style Latina singer for tax fraud.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 15 May 2025
These designs deliver on arch support without feeling dowdy.
—Malia Griggs, Glamour, 28 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, the cutout neckline and darted bodice prevent it from being dowdy.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2025
Jane and Kit stand on either side, looking dowdy in black dresses and veils (not really an Irish thing).
—Cullen Murphy, airmail.news, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dowdy
Cite this Entry
“Dowdy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dowdy. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
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